Saudi Arabia has temporarily shut down its 1,200-kilometre East-West oil pipeline after it was hit by a drone attack, with Riyadh and Baghdad saying the strike originated from Iraq.
An understanding between Iran and Oman does not provide for the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz but establishes a basis for a possible reopening, an Iranian source told Tasnim. The source said reopening the strait depends on the United States meeting Tehran’s conditions.
CENTCOM says it has redirected 100 commercial vessels over the past 60 days since the United States resumed its blockade against Iran.
The U.S. military says no ships have passed through the blockade without authorisation from American forces, adding that service members remain focused on the mission.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called Saturday for maintaining the stability and freedom of international navigation amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
“The current developments in the Middle East and their negative repercussions on the global economy, trade and energy flows, and supply chains affirm the close link between security and development,” Sisi said in his speech.
Iranian President and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince met on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in the Indian capital New Delhi on Saturday to discuss regional de-escalation efforts.
The meeting also addressed a host of regional and international issues, including “reducing tensions, promoting stability in the region, and enhancing prospects for peace and development for its peoples,” the Abu Dhabi Media Office said in a brief statement.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi has agreed to an Iranian request for a joint investigation into the discovery of drone launch platforms near the Iraqi-Iranian border, the Prime Minister's office said on Saturday.
The investigation will examine the circumstances surrounding the discovery of the platforms near the border area, the statement said, after it was used to launch attacks on the Saudi Arabia East-West pipeline.
Bahrain said it will not attend any meeting with Iran to discuss the Strait of Hormuz until diplomatic ties between the two countries are restored, according to state media.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran was probably responsible for an aerial attack on Saudi Arabia that shut down its East-West pipeline.
“I think they are, probably they are,” Trump told reporters in Dublin when asked if Iran was responsible for the attack on the vital oil conduit.
U.S. President Donald Trump repeated on Saturday that he believed the war with Iran will end after U.S. midterm elections in November and that oil prices will tumble once it does.
“I think very soon. I think it'll be probably right after the mid-terms. They're trying to hold out as long as they can to complicate the election. But I think people are wise to it,” Trump told reporters in Dublin.
“When that happens, oil prices will come tumbling down.”
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that everything would “work out just fine” when asked whether he could help move traffic through the Strait of Hormuz in light of fresh concerns about Saudi Arabia.
“Everything will work out just fine,” Trump said, speaking in Dublin after meeting Irish President Catherine Connolly.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says Arab foreign ministers will meet in Oman to sign an agreement on a joint shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz. He said Iran would reopen the strategic waterway once the U.S. ends its blockade and attacks.
The planned deal will focus on creating safe routes for commercial vessels and will be presented to the International Maritime Organization, according to Tehran. Iran says the move aims to improve maritime security, while tensions continue over restrictions on shipping in the Gulf.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has called for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the U.S,-Iran conflict during talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in New Delhi.
Anwar warned that continued tensions in the Middle East could affect global energy security, trade and the wider economy. He stressed the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open in line with international law.
The two leaders also discussed expanding Malaysia-Iran cooperation in sectors including energy, agriculture, technology and education.
BRICS leaders have arrived in New Delhi for a two-day summit focused on global challenges, economic cooperation and strengthening multilateral ties. The meeting comes as the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict continues to affect energy markets, trade and inflation concerns worldwide.
Leaders from the expanded 11-member bloc, including China, Russia, Iran, India and Brazil, are attending the talks. Partner countries such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Malaysia and Vietnam are also represented at the summit. Discussions are expected to focus on inclusive global governance, innovation, sustainability and economic resilience.
The leaders are set to issue a joint statement after the second day of talks. BRICS says the group now accounts for around 49.5 per cent of the global population, 40 per cent of world GDP and 26 per cent of international trade.
The U.S. has asked tankers travelling through the Strait of Hormuz to sail only at specific times to guarantee military protection after Iran stepped up attacks on ships travelling at night, the Financial Times reported on Saturday.
Washington has been offering air-based defence since May to ships wanting to sail via a route hugging the Omani coast on the strait's southern side.
That period during which ships would be protected was cut down to two specific time slots daily around the start of September, the FT reported, citing emails sent by the U.S. naval co-ordination centre to maritime advisers.
Iraq ordered the closure of the Shalamcheh border crossing between Iraq and Iran as a precautionary measure after the latest drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, two security sources told Reuters on Saturday.
The sources said a wide-scale operation was underway to pursue perpetrators of the attack on Saudi Arabia.
Riyadh said on Friday its vital East-West pipeline was attacked by drones that were launched from Iraq.
Talks between Israel and Lebanon that were scheduled to take place in Rome next week have been postponed and will occur instead in October, Axios reported on Friday, citing a U.S. official.
Jewish holidays, a Paris conference and UN General Assembly preparations meant participants could not convene in Rome, Axios cited a source as saying. The Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors are due to meet in Washington, according to the post on X.
The pipeline, which has carried 4 to 5 million barrels of oil per day in recent months, is a crucial alternative route for Saudi exports amid disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.
The attack came as Iran-aligned Houthi forces expanded their control in the Red Sea, reportedly seizing the strategic Perim Island near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The combined disruptions have intensified pressure on global energy supplies, pushing oil prices above $100 per barrel.
Saudi Arabia said the shutdown was a precautionary measure, while satellite images showed smoke rising from the damaged area south of Medina. Riyadh has requested U.S. military assistance against the Houthis, but Washington said it would provide intelligence and targeting support rather than direct military intervention.
The escalation has raised concerns that Houthi advances could give Iran greater influence over key maritime routes.
Follow for the latest updates from the Middle East conflict.
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Russia is willing in principle to resume peace talks with Ukraine and the United States in November, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said after President Vladimir Putin met U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff in St Petersburg.
Russian strikes on Ukraine overnight killed at least two people and injured 15 others, including two children, Ukrainian authorities said. Meanwhile, Russia said it had intercepted the vast majority of 630 Ukrainian drones launched towards Moscow.
Saudi Aramco has ordered staff to evacuate its headquarters amid escalating Houthi attacks on the kingdom. Two people were killed in an attack on Dammam airport, while Iran's IRGC Navy claimed strikes on seven vessels and warned the U.S. of a wider response.
Yemen's Houthis have denied targeting the holy city of Medina on Wednesday adding that they have not conducted any military operations towards Saudi Arabia either, denying earlier comments from the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen.
Georgia’s Constitutional Court in Batumi will on Wednesday hear a lawsuit seeking to ban five Georgian opposition parties, four of which collectively gained 784,820 votes (37.79 per cent) in the country’s last national elections in 2024.
Almost all of Taiwan shut down on Friday ahead of the arrival of Typhoon Champi, which is forecast to bring strong winds and torrential rain, and though the storm is weakening it could still make direct landfall on the island.
U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order expanding access to tax-exempt diesel as soaring fuel prices frustrate voters ahead of the midterm elections. But farmers say using the fuel on public roads is too risky, while many other drivers cannot get hold of it.
The FIFA U-20 World Cup 2027 will take place from 17 September to 9 October next year in Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced on Friday.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that ‘illegitimate’ protests would be banned in the coming days. He blamed ‘seditious’ ultra-left groups and vandals for last weekend’s riots and looting, as authorities prepare for fresh demonstrations on Saturday.
Russian strikes on Ukraine overnight killed at least two people and injured 15 others, including two children, Ukrainian authorities said. Meanwhile, Russia said it had intercepted the vast majority of 630 Ukrainian drones launched towards Moscow.
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